


How Josdolf Happened

by adis_shorts



Category: Historical RPF, Third Reich - Fandom
Genre: Fluff, Josdolf, Josdolf Hitbbels, M/M, not historically accurate obvs, shameless fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2017-12-06
Packaged: 2019-02-11 11:13:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12934044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adis_shorts/pseuds/adis_shorts
Summary: The story of how Josdolf Hitbbels came to be in 3 very fluffy parts. Just because I could :)





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, my OTP is Nazis. No, I don't know how this happened either.
> 
> (i do actually) (doing historical research made me ship them) (lmao)

It began with the occasional eye contact between them. Joseph’s heart would flutter every time, especially when he saw what could only be described as infatuation in those vivid blue eyes. It had carried on for months, occasional glances which were left unmentioned. Over time, he had noticed how Adolf was always trying to sit closer to him, how he would stand almost painfully close to him at times. He had also noticed how the usually charismatic man would stumble over his words when this happened, seeming almost bashful. Again, nothing was ever said, but Joseph could feel the feeling in his chest getting stronger every time.

 

It had been the incident today which had almost pushed him over the edge. The two men had been sitting in Adolf’s office throughout the early evening, casually reading over some documents, but now this little meeting had fallen apart. As Joseph had handed another document to Adolf, their hands touched. He immediately felt a sensation like electricity shooting through his body from that spot on his hand. He tried to keep hold of his composure, but then he made the mistake of looking up at Adolf.

 

His eyes were wide, a slight flush growing on his cheeks. He had sucked in his lower lip and was biting it, his chest rising and falling stronger and faster than usual. Their eyes fixed onto each others’ and Joseph suddenly felt his chest go tight. Judging by Adolf’s demeanor, he too was feeling the same feeling. There was something in his eyes, something deep and, at least at first, unreadable. However, as they remained staring into each other’s eyes, Joseph could see the longing in them. It was at this point that it hit him.

 

He had to do something about this.

 

“I need some fresh air,” Joseph said, standing up abruptly, “Come with me.”

 

Adolf looked hesitant, a look which was utterly bizarre to Joseph, and his heart skipped a beat. Nevertheless, he too stood up and began to follow Joseph out of the door. Soon they were outside in the twilight, wordlessly walking along the streets for so long that by the time they stopped night had completely fallen and the sky was inky black.

 

They had stopped at the beginning of a path through some trees. It looked beautiful, almost as beautiful as Adolf, Joseph thought. His heartbeat picked up again at that thought, and he knew he had to do this. Behind him, he heard the silence being broken.

 

“Where are we even going?” Adolf asked, a hint of bemusement in his voice.

 

Joseph looked back at the taller man, but didn’t answer. He just jerked his head, signalling him to follow. He turned back towards the path, but didn’t begin to walk. He waited for three long seconds, desperate to hear the other pair of footsteps approach from behind him. In those three seconds of silence, his heart thumped so hard he thought it would burst out of his chest. Sure enough, after those seconds he heard the footsteps coming up to him. From the corner of his eye, he saw the figure of Adolf stand still next to him.

 

“Come on, then,” he whispered.

 

The two men began to walk along the dimly lit pathway in solitude, with no sounds but the rustling of leaves and their footsteps. Joseph felt himself becoming more and more nervous as he geared himself up to say something. He knew that what he said would change their relationship forever, no matter the outcome. Something that had been left unsaid for months was now about to come out. He had to confront it.

 

His thoughts and his heartbeat both screeched to a halt as he felt a warm hand brush against his cold one. He tried to carry on walking, keeping his eyes focused on the clearing approaching them, but the hand brushed against his own again. It happened for the third time as they walked into the clearing, at which point Joseph had reached his breaking point. Adolf  _ had _ to be doing it on purpose. He was obviously testing the waters, but Joseph wanted him to be direct.

 

He stopped walking and turned himself to face Adolf, grabbing hold of his wrists. The taller man gasped a little at this, his eyes wide once again. Joseph looked him directly and intensely in the eyes.

 

“What are you doing, Adolf?” he asked, trying his hardest to keep his voice strong when all he wanted to do was tremble.

 

“Umm… I…” Adolf stuttered, failing to come up with a coherent answer.

 

Joseph had had enough of this charade. He couldn’t hold back any more.

 

“We’ve been avoiding this for too long,” he began.

 

Adolf looked at him with both fear and longing, his cheeks flushing pink again.

 

“Just do it already.”

 

Joseph thought that Adolf’s eyes were about to pop straight out of their sockets. He could feel the tendons underneath the skin of his wrist tense up. Those eyes remained fixed onto his, and Joseph could see an internal struggle inside them. His own chest was unbearably tight, heart beating so strongly that he could hear it. Adolf sounded completely breathless, the way his lips were parted as his breathing quickened.

 

“ _ Kiss me _ ,” Joseph persisted.

 

He felt Adolf’s hand begin to move up, so he released his grip on his wrist. When that warm hand make contact with his cheek, he felt as though his heart had stopped. Blue eyes remained fixed on him, that once-unreadable emotion now all over them. Those eyes were filled with love, Joseph knew now. He knew it for sure, but that didn’t mean he was ready for what happened next.

 

His thoughts all screeched to a halt as Adolf’s face inched towards his own, so close that he could feel the warmth of his breath against his lips. Adolf’s eyes fell closed, and Joseph followed suit. The moment he felt Adolf’s lips on his own, a thousand fireworks ignited inside of him. His whole body buzzed with static as their lips began to move against each other, soft and sweet. He’d waited so long for this moment and now it was here, it felt perfect.

 

They kissed for what seemed like forever, the stars their only witness. Neither man wanted it to ever end, but they eventually had to break apart for air. Both men stood there, staring at each other breathlessly. Joseph’s lips tingled, his cheek warm under Adolf’s hand. Joseph took his hand from the other man’s wrist and wrapped it around his hip, pulling him so close that they were pretty much nose-to-nose. Adolf’s eyes gazed into his thoughtfully.

 

“Are we doing this then?” Adolf whispered.

 

“What?” Joseph replied, although the implications of what he’d just said made his heart skip a beat.

 

“You  _ know _ what,” Adolf replied bashfully, letting out a shaky laugh.

 

“Tell me,” Joseph demanded breathily, “What do you mean?”

 

Adolf shuffled about nervously, never taking his eyes from Joseph. His other hand came up to cup Joseph’s other cheek.

 

“Us,” Adolf said hesitantly, “Together.”

 

Joseph smiled then, and Adolf found the sight so delightfully adorable that he couldn’t help but kiss him again. Joseph’s arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him deeper into the kiss. They kissed again for a few long, delicious moments, both men smiling into the kiss. After a while, their lips parted again, but both men stayed close to each other, the heat of their bodies moulding together.

 

“That’s your answer,” Joseph smiled, before resting his head in the crook of Adolf’s neck.


	2. The Question

“The car’s here,” Joseph said from the window, watching the black car outside pull up.

 

Adolf smiled at Joseph as he stood up and adjusted his suit.

 

“Let’s go then,  _ mein Doktorchen _ ,” Adolf said, eyes beaming at Joseph with so much adoration that it made Joseph feel weak at the knees.

 

Joseph smiled back, walking up to Adolf and taking his hand in his own. His heart fluttered at the feeling of his lover’s warm skin against his own. They walked through the door and to the waiting car. Joseph opened the door for Adolf, who gave him another sweet smile as he got in. Joseph smiled back, his heart skipping a beat, before closing the door and going to the other side to get in.

 

Now sitting in the back of the moving car, Adolf put his hand out on the seat in between the two of them. Joseph took the cue and placed his hand over Adolf’s. They sat in silence for a moment, focused on the warmth flowing through their hands. Adolf turned his hand over so that they were touching palm to palm and squeezed his lover’s hand. Joseph turned to look at his face and saw that cute little smile yet again, his cheeks balled up and slightly pink and eyes shining as he turned to make eye contact with him.

 

“You look amazing,” Joseph whispered before he could stop himself.

 

Adolf smiled even more, squeezing Joseph’s hand again.

 

“ _ You _ look amazing,” Adolf replied.

 

“I love it when you wear a suit,” Joseph added, voice soft, “You’re the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.”

 

Adolf leaned towards Joseph and pressed his lips softly to his. Both men felt their hearts skip several beats as their lips moved gently against each other. Adolf took Joseph’s other hand in his own and squeezed both, entwining his fingers with his lovers’. They sat there, kissing sweetly and gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes until they pulled up outside the opera theatre.

 

Adolf got out of the car first and walked around to Joseph’s side. He opened the door and held out his hand, which Joseph took in his own. He got out and Adolf closed the door behind him, all while their hands remained clasped together.

 

“Come on then, Adi,” Joseph said, smiling wide at his man as he led him into the theatre.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The opera was great, one of Adolf’s favourites. He loved how powerful the performance was, how the music made him feel so many strong emotions. He could talk about opera for days, he loved it so much. Even better though was the way that Joseph had that soft smile on his face as he rambled on about how much he adored Wagner’s music. Tonight was no different; Joseph was looking at him with complete adoration as they sat in the back seat of the car, driving to some place that Joseph was keeping secret from him. He’d looked at him like that all through their after-opera meal too. Adolf could barely concentrate on his food for staring at that adorable smile of his.

 

Adolf faintly registered the flickering of street lights going past the window as he carried on gushing about the opera, all while never taking his eyes away from the man sitting next to him. He was beginning to get a bit curious, so he decided to end his opera talk to ask his lover where they were going.

 

“It’s a surprise,” Joseph smirked, adding softly, “I hope you’ll like it.”

 

Adolf took Joseph’s hand in his, “I love everything you do for me, Joseph.  _ I love you _ . As long as I’m with you, I’m happy.”

 

Joseph stared at him, wide-eyed, grasping his hand tightly. Adolf’s heart stopped when he saw a tear at the corner of his lover’s eye.

 

“Joseph…”

 

“I’m OK, Adi,” Joseph smiled, “I love you too. You don’t even know how much.”

 

“Then show me,” Adolf smiled back.

 

“Don’t worry,” Joseph whispered, moving closer to Adolf, “I will.”

 

The feeling of their lips meeting never got old for either of them. Adolf smiled into the kiss, taking his free hand to caress Joseph’s cheek, just above his jawline. Joseph shuddered slightly at the sensation, it felt electrical whenever their skin touched. After a moment Adolf pulled away, his hand still touching Joseph’s cheek. He began to talk again about how much he’d enjoyed their date so far, eyes fixed on his lover’s. Soon the car pulled up and they were standing on the pavement, by a path they’d walked along many times before.

 

“Wait here for us,” Joseph told the driver, before turning to Adolf and holding out his hand, “Let’s go.”

 

Adolf took Joseph’s hand and found himself being led along the quiet walkway. There were trees on either side, the occasional dim light lining the path. In the low light, one could look up and see the night sky full of stars. Adolf squeezed Joseph’s hand as they walked along, his heart swelling with love more with each step. Eventually they came to a clearing. Here the stars and moon shone brightly above them, untainted by the lights of the city. Joseph stopped and turned to face Adolf, reaching to take his other hand in his own. Adolf noticed that his lover’s hands were trembling slightly.

 

“Are you cold?” he asked.

 

“No…” Joseph whispered.

 

“Then why are you shaking?”

 

Joseph looked up at him with an indescribable amount of adoration and love, his eyes a touch watery.

 

“Because I love you so much,” he began, “You mean the world to me. When I’m with you, you make me forget what melancholy feels like. Being with you is the greatest feeling in the world, Adolf. I love when you smile, the way your cheeks bunch up and your eyes shine. I love being in your arms, I love your voice, I love your laugh. I love when you talk so passionately about opera. I love that whenever we touch it feels like a static charge on my skin. I love how warm you are.”

 

Joseph pulled his hands away from Adolf’s and put them into his pockets, fiddling around in them nervously. Adolf would be very curious, if it wasn’t for the fact that his heartbeat was going wild at such a declaration from the man he loved more than anything else.

 

“I love all of you so much that it can’t even be put into words. I’ve loved you for so long, longer than you probably know. But I can show you just how much I love you, like you asked me to. That’s why I brought you back here to where we first kissed, because I’ve been thinking about this for so long and now it is time for me to show you just how much you mean to me.”

 

Joseph began to drop down onto the floor, stiffly resting his knee on the ground. It took Adolf a moment to register what he was seeing, but soon enough the pieces of the puzzle joined together. At that point, he couldn’t help but let out a slight gasp, his eyes wide. This was why he had looked nervous at some points during this date. This was why he’d brought them to this place in particular. It all made sense now, and Adolf loved every part of it.

 

Joseph, now fully down on his knee, took his hands out of his pockets, holding a small black box in one of them. He opened it with his free hand. Adolf felt himself tear up a little as he saw the silver ring inside.

 

_ This is happening. This is actually happening. _

 

“Adolf Hitler, would you do me the honour of marrying me?”

 

Adolf found himself temporarily speechless, so he resolved to nodding. He could feel his smile stretch so wide that his cheeks felt tight. It was Joseph’s turn to gasp now, he too smiling broadly. He took the ring out of the box and Adolf instinctively stuck out his right hand. Joseph let out a small chuckle, before sliding the ring gently onto his new fiancée’s finger. After the ring was all the way on, Adolf clasped Joseph’s in his own, gently pulling him up.

 

“Thank you,” Joseph said quietly, sounding a little breathless.

 

Now back on his feet, Joseph got another box out of his pocket. Inside it was an identical ring, which he handed to Adolf before holding out his own right hand. Adolf, still smiling widely, slid the ring onto his finger. No sooner than he had done that did Joseph put his hands on either side of his fiancée’s face and pulled him into a deep, longing kiss. It was just the two of them and their love for each other in that moment, the stars, the moon and the trees being their only witnesses. It didn’t matter though, for in that moment they were each other’s entire world.

 

After what seemed like forever, they finally pulled away for air. Adolf looked down at his hand, biting his lip at the sight of a silver band across his ring finger. Joseph grabbed his hands and held them again, running his finger over Adolf’s engagement ring.

 

“I told you that I’d show you how much I love you,” Joseph whispered, resting his head on Adolf’s chest.

 

“You did,  _ mein Doktorchen _ ,” Adolf whispered back, eyes filling up with tears, “I love you too.”

 

The two men stood there in each other’s arms, with no noise but the sounds of the spring breeze rustling leaves around them.


	3. The Second Beginning

Joseph fastened the last button of his shirt with hands that he had to admit were trembling a little. His stomach was doing flips inside him with the excitement of the situation before him. His hands managed to negotiate his tie, tightening it up as he walked toward the mirror. He adjusted the tie and made sure his outfit was neat. He couldn’t help but smile at himself, knowing what was coming later that day. He grabbed his suit jacket from its hanger and put it on, making sure he looked presentable in the mirror one more time before leaving the room. His sister greeted him outside the door. She was dressed smartly, wearing a lovely floral dress. She looked rather elegant, and Joseph felt a surge of brotherly pride.

 

“We’re all ready when you are,” she said excitedly, smiling broadly.

 

“I think I’m ready,” Joseph replied a touch giddily, smile matching his sister’s.

 

His sister motioned with her hand to follow him as she turned to head downstairs. Joseph followed, smoothing his hair with his hand, the butterflies in his stomach only getting stronger as he saw his family waiting in the living room. They were all dressed so smart, and smiled at him as he entered the room. His parents stood up and looked at him with proud eyes.

 

“I’m ready to go,” Joseph exclaimed, smile never leaving his face.

 

The family headed outside together, where there were several cars lined up waiting for them all. He got into the car at the front of the line with his parents sitting at either side of him. His smile was as wide as ever as the car set off on its journey. He thought about seeing Adolf when they arrived at their destination, how lovely he would undoubtedly look. He closed his eyes and saw his lover in a suit, a sight that to him was literally perfection.

 

He found it hard to believe that it had already been a few years since that first kiss, soft and tender beneath the stars. Months spent dodging the subject had ended in an explosion of raw love and emotion the moment their lips first touched. The memory still made Joseph’s heart skip a beat even now. He couldn’t wait to kiss his lover again, to feel that same tingling of his lips that he felt every time. Today was going to be perfect, he knew it. Very possibly the happiest day of his life.

 

As the car drove past the opera theatre, Joseph thought back to the times that he’d gone there with his opera-obsessed lover. They would always dress up smart. Adolf always looked so wonderful in his suit, it would make Joseph’s heart race like a lovestruck schoolgirl. He’d treasure the sight of his lover dressed so smart for his whole life, as well as the sight of when he’d inevitably take the suit off and they’d unite in ways too intimate for him to really be thinking about right now. He still found himself smirking and flushing a little at the thoughts of what they’d get up to after those dates, but he resolved that now wasn’t really the time to be thinking about that.

 

He’d been waiting for years for this day to arrive, for it to even be possible. The day he’d finally asked Adolf, after weeks of hesitation and planning, had been one of the most nerve-wracking he’d ever experienced. It was worth it, though, to see the look on his face after he said those words. It was even more worth it to experience this day and what it would entail. That night couldn’t have gone more right. They’d kissed and held each other for what seemed like hours, before retiring to Adolf’s bedroom and spending most of the night together. They certainly didn’t get much sleep that night, they were too busy celebrating in their own way. They’d woke up later than usual the following morning, still nude and wrapped up in each other’s arms, and Joseph had never felt closer to anyone in his life as he did in those moments.

 

Joseph looked out of the window again, watching the sights of the city as they went by. The car drove past the park where he’d first kissed Adolf, the park where they’d spent so many happy times together. It was usually very quiet and empty at night, so it was a perfect place to take a post-date stroll before returning home. Joseph could almost feel the warmth of Adolf’s hand upon his own just thinking about them walking together, hand in hand.

 

It had also been that park which had brought them back together after they’d fallen out. They were both in a bad mood that day. He had been over-critical of everything Adolf had done that day, who had been short with him for hours until he finally snapped, exploding at him and saying some truly horrible things, To be fair, both of them did. It devolved into a screaming match and Joseph remembered eventually storming out of Adolf’s apartment and walking away as fast as he could, anger coursing through him as the sadness bubbled up from underneath. He’d walked on autopilot to that clearing he was so familiar with and pretty much broke down, leaning against the fence alongside where the path turned into a stairway to the lower, much more busy section of the park. He looked over this lower section and cried for what seemed like forever, but in reality was probably about twenty minutes. He spent even longer just staring, watching the people below enjoying themselves.

 

He must have been there lost in thought for at least an hour, maybe two, as it was already going dark when he heard footsteps approach him from behind.

 

_ “I knew I’d find you here.” _

 

Joseph had turned around to see Adolf standing there, his face solemn and eyes slightly red.

 

_ “You’ve been crying, Joseph.” _

 

_ “You have too.” _

 

Adolf had just nodded curtly before taking Joseph into his arms and whispering apologies into his ear, over and over again. Joseph had burst into tears again and Adolf squeezed him closer, voice wobbling slightly as he continued to apologise for everything he’d said and done earlier that day.

 

_ “I don’t think you’re pathetic,” _ he’d said, voice cracking, _ “Don’t believe that. I was angry and stupid when I said that and I’m sorry. I love you more than anything, don’t ever forget that.” _

 

Joseph felt his eyes water a little at the memory. They, like all lovers, had had their share of bickering, but this had been their only full-blown falling out. Adolf had persuaded Joseph to come back to the apartment and he’d basically just held him in his arms on the sofa for hours as they exchanged apologies for all the mean things they’d said in anger. That day was the first time he’d ever seen the usually strong and confident Adolf cry and show so much remorse. As the night went on, Adolf finally opened up fully with Joseph, and he with Adolf. They got to know the most intimate, deepest details of each other’s lives and souls that evening, and by the end Joseph knew that this was the man he wanted to be with forever.

 

Speaking of forever, it was quickly approaching. He could see their destination out of the window and the car was pulling up on the pavement. In the next moment he’d gotten out of the car and was standing on the pavement, feeling the mild spring breeze against his skin. His father linked arms with him and looked at him, smiling.

 

“Are you ready?” he asked.

 

“Yes, papa.”

 

Joseph knew that everyone was already inside and suddenly felt another wave of anxiety. All eyes would be on him as soon as he walked through that door. He took a deep breath and set off, pushing open the large, heavy door and walking through the entry hall to the main area of the church. As he had predicted, all heads turned to face him, including the one standing at the front of the room. Those powerful blue eyes met his and Joseph suddenly had to use all of his strength to not just burst into tears. He felt completely giddy, his stomach doing more somersaults than an Olympic gymnastics team.

 

The man he was focused on as he walked forward looked completely perfect. He was beautiful, wearing a suit identical to his own. Their eyes never left each other. Adolf’s eyes were completely fixed on Joseph, and as he got closer he could tell they were watery. At that point the lump in his throat only got bigger. He thought of all the time they’d spent together, feeling so much love flood his entire body. Happy memories filled his mind. All the dates they’d been on, the quick kisses that came from nowhere, the deeper, longer kisses when the world around them seemed to stop existing. That time Adolf cooked a chocolate cake and used too much sugar, although he claimed that there actually wasn’t enough sugar. He let out a tiny giggle at this memory, thinking about how adorable the smartly dressed man in front of him was.

 

He finally reached the end of the aisle and his father unlinked their arms. He looked back at his father one last time and they exchanged smiles, before Joseph walked up the step and then came face to face with his fiancée. Adolf looked at him with pure adoration, he seemed almost breathless.

 

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered in awe.

 

Joseph smiled, his heart thumping in his chest at the sight of his lover’s smile and the words he was saying.

 

“ _ You’re _ beautiful.”

 

Watery blue eyes fixed on similarly watery brown ones again and the two men smiled widely, momentarily lost in each other until the vicar cleared his throat.

 

“Shall we begin the ceremony, gentlemen?”

 

Both men nodded.

 

“We are here today to join these two men in matrimony. Any objections should be raised now.”

 

Silence.

 

“OK, let’s commence with the proceedings.”

 

Adolf’s eyes were fixed on Joseph again.

 

“Herr Hitler and Herr Goebbels, you come here voluntarily, with hearts prepared, to receive each other in marriage?”

 

“Yes,” both men said in unison.

 

“Will you love each other, respect, and be loyal to one another until death separates you?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Because your will is determined to live your lives together, take each other’s hand and conclude this marriage in the eyes of the church and God.”

 

The men took their left hands in each other’s. Joseph could feel the heat travelling between their skin, as if that heat was transmitting their love for each other. It spread through him and make his whole body tingle and his heart skip a beat. He heard Göring get up and hand the rings to the priest, who then held them out in between the two lovers on a small velvet pillow, but his eyes remained on their hands.

 

“Repeat these vows after me, Herr Hitler: I take you, Paul Joseph Goebbels, to be my husband. I promise to be loyal to you in good and bad days, in health and illness, to love and respect, until death separates us.”

 

Joseph looked up at Adolf’s face once again, his eyes threatening to spill over with the tears which had gathered in them. Adolf took a ring from the pillow and positioned his lover’s hand, beginning to recite his vows with a slight tremble in his voice that only Joseph could tell was there.

 

“I take you, Paul Joseph Goebbels, to be my husband.”

 

Joseph felt the cool metal sliding along his finger and then a tear begin to fall down his cheek. He bit his lip, heart practically vibrating inside his chest.

 

“I promise to be loyal to you in good and bad days, in health and illness-” his voice wavered slightly- “To love and respect, until death separates us.”

 

Adolf took his right hand and wiped the tear away from Joseph’s cheek, his own eyes watery. His smile was wide and Joseph was completely in love. His mind was swimming with the same thought over and over again:  _ it’s finally happening _ . He didn’t think he’d ever been this happy in his life, so happy that it was an enormous struggle to not just start crying right there. The ring glistened in the light, slightly blurred by his tears, and the sensation of it felt like he was being embraced by Adolf’s love. He would never be alone anymore, not as long as he had this ring.

 

“And now Herr Goebbels: I take you, Adolf Hitler, to be my husband. I promise to be loyal to you in good and bad days, in health and illness, to love and respect, until death separates us.”

 

Joseph noticed how much his hands were trembling when he picked up the other ring and placed it at the tip of the other man’s finger.

 

“I take you…” Joseph took a deep breath, feeling his voice crack, “I take you, Adolf Hitler, to be my husband.”

 

He began to slide the ring down Adolf’s finger. His heart was racing, his chest tight with how much he loved the man in front of him.

 

“I promise to be loyal to you in good and bad days,” another deep breath, “In health and illness…”

 

Adolf’s right hand grasped onto his own right hand and squeezed it tight, encouraging him to keep his composure long enough to finish his vows. Joseph smiled so wide that his cheeks felt tight, tears about to spill over his eyes as the ring reached its rightful place.

 

“To love and respect until death separates us.”

 

Joseph looked up at Adolf again. He saw his lover with a tear running down his cheek, so he returned the favour and wiped it away for him. Adolf just smiled, blue eyes not leaving his face.

 

“By the power invested in me, you are now married. You may kiss the groom.”

 

Adolf took both of his hands and placed them on Joseph’s cheeks, softly wiping away the now-flowing tears with his thumbs. He moved forwards and met his husband’s lips, kissing them tenderly. Joseph felt the tears still spilling from his now-closed eyes as his arms moved up to hold his husband’s hips, his long eyelashes damp against his lower eyelids. He smiled into the kiss, feeling Adolf smile against him too.

 

Joseph faintly registered the applause of the people sitting in the pews, but he was too lost in the moment he was sharing with his husband. Husband. He would never get tired of using that word, he knew it. This man he was kissing right now was now his husband. The thought made his heart flutter. Adolf’s lips were soft but longing against his own, as if he was conveying his love for him through the kiss. Eventually those lips moved away from his, but the look in the taller man’s eyes showed Joseph all the love in the world.

 

The next couple of hours after that were a blur to Joseph. He was too giddy from the fact that he was now married to the man he’d coveted for so long. They’d gone to a fancy hall for the after-wedding party and Joseph swore that every single family member had come up to him over the course of the afternoon to congratulate him. He couldn’t help but smile widely the whole time, so wide that his cheeks flushed and began to ache, but he didn’t really care because he was too ecstatic to care. They’d eaten food and danced, but Joseph’s adrenaline was still racing from the ceremony earlier. Eventually he had to excuse himself for some fresh air, taking Adolf’s hand in his and practically dragging him outside with him.

 

The air had cooled a little since it was later in the afternoon now, but Joseph welcomed the slightly cool breeze against his warm cheeks. The light of the day was dimming, but the sun had not yet set. Above them the sky was mostly clear, a couple of patches of cloud breaking up the expanse of blue. Joseph stopped, spun Adolf around and pulled him down into a longing, passionate kiss. Adolf, momentarily startled, melted into it and wrapped his arms around his husband. He smiled against his lover’s lips, hands gripping the back of his suit jacket. They kissed for a few moments before Adolf pulled away, keeping his arms wrapped warmly around Joseph.

 

“I love you so much,” Adolf whispered, his eyes yet again staring into Joseph’s, “Today has been the best day of my life.”

 

Joseph nodded.

 

“Thank you so much,” Adolf whispered again, pulling Joseph into a close embrace.

 

Joseph could hear Adolf’s soft breathing by his ear as he rested his head on his shoulder. He sighed happily and sank into his warmth, so close that their body heat collided. Joseph felt his heart pounding once again, mind swimming with thoughts of how much he loved the man in his arms. He was the man he’d met so many years ago now, the man who he initially didn’t like very much. But he’d warmed to him, so very much. He couldn’t remember exactly when the feelings began, but the moment he knew that it wasn’t just an idle crush he did. He thought back to that day and couldn’t help but exhale happily. Adolf pulled himself away just enough to look him in the eyes curiously.

 

“Nothing much,” Joseph smiled, “I just remembered the time when I knew I’d fallen for you.”

 

The taller man looked even more curious now, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

 

“Do tell,” he said, a touch flirtily.

 

“We’d been on a visit to another city, I forget where. We’d gotten off the train and gotten through the crowds. We were heading back to your apartment with a few of the guys for a drink. I’d given a little speech that day and you’d turned to me, taken my hand and told me that I’d done it really well. You’d said things like that to me before but… there was something about that time that was special. I think it was the way you’d looked at me. I could tell by the look in your eyes that you were proud of me, but I saw something that I couldn’t figure out too…”

 

“I was very proud of Joseph,” Adolf said softly, “I always have been.”

 

“It was the first time that I really knew just how much I cared about you,” Joseph continued, placing his hand on Adolf’s chest, “I knew from the way my heart skipped a beat that I was in love with you.”

 

“I remember that day too,” Adolf replied, placing his own hand over Joseph’s and entwining their fingers together, “I cared about you so much pretty much since the beginning. I thought you were energetic, dedicated, talented, incredibly cute… I’ll admit now that I was attracted to you pretty soon after I’d met you.”

 

“You know, you could have said something a lot earlier,” Joseph said in jest, “It wasn’t like I was repulsed by you, in retrospect I think that it was obvious how I felt about you.”

 

“In retrospect it was. But you know how cautious I can be, Joseph,” Adolf said a touch bashfully, “I thought I was being subtle, but I guess you were onto me from that time you just told me about. I suspected as much when you blushed like you did. Even more so when things got awkward between us for a while because I thought I’d put my foot in it. I’m sorry about that, by the way.”

 

“I eventually put some sense into you,” Joseph smiled.

 

“You did, you really did,” Adolf said softly, “When you told me to kiss you, I realised that you felt the same as I and that I didn’t have to hold myself back from you so much. I guess I did know how you felt, but part of me didn’t believe it. I thought it was too good to be true. It worked out eventually though.”

 

“It did,  _ husband _ ,” Joseph smiled, leaning in to give his husband a quick, soft kiss.

 

Adolf smiled at his husband, still holding his hand.

 

“Thank you for marrying me,” he said softly, smile as wide as Joseph’s, “ _ Husband. _ ”

 

The two men giggled before moving in for another sweet, long kiss in the view of the setting sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading :)


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